Tearing down my HJ47 troopy (16 Viewers)

[gswest]

I've replaced the 3 year old fuel in the tank with new diesel hoping to eliminate my flashing fuel warning light. No help. I thought maybe my fuel got some moisture in it while it was stored. I changed the fuel sensor with a new (used) one; that didn't help. Still have the flashing fuel warning light. So I know the fuel is good, the sensor works so why is the fuel warning light flashing? It may not be related but I can hear the voltage regulator clicking so loudly that I originally mistaked that noise for an engine knock which was frightning. But I put my hand on the VR and you can feel it clicking almost lake a flasher. Could this be causing my fuel warning light to blink on and off? I know Tom (Lostmarbles) had a similar noise from his mechanical VR and I wonder if he resolved it and if my two issues are related.

 

[lostmarbles]

...I know Tom (Lostmarbles) had a similar noise from his mechanical VR and I wonder if he resolved it and if my two issues are related.

Yes. I like to keep my battery fully charged and so I often trickle charge it when I haven't been running my cruiser for a few weeks. And I think doing this was upsetting my original electro-mechanical VR (ie. making it click noisily) by keeping it at the point where it was unsure whether my battery should be given any more charging current or not.

Anyway ...I cured the clicking (that was amplified by firewall upon which the VR is mounted and making it sound more like a "knocking noise") by replacing the VR with a solid-state version.

And the two problems could well be related (as I think I mentioned before in your thread) because the wiring of the sedimenter light and VR are linked:

 

[trajkula76]

Are you referring to the sedimenter which is bolted to the chassis rail on the drivers side? Disconnecting the wiring from the top of the sensor should isolate the fuel light.

 

[lostmarbles]

... Disconnecting the wiring from the top of the sensor should isolate the fuel light.

I doubt "disconnecting the sensor" would be acceptable to the GsWest's quality control.

 

[trajkula76]

I doubt "disconnecting the sensor" would be acceptable to the GsWest's quality control.

Just as a process of elimination to see if the sensor is at fault. I know I wouldn't let that pass my standards too

 

[gswest]

Thanks guys.
First off , Tom, where'd you get the solid state VR? Second, I unplugged the warning light at the light itself and the VR kept clicking. The light went off of course. So, Would unplugging it at the sedimenter make any difference as far as determining if the VR was clicking due to the sedimenter? Third, is the fuel warning light supposed to flash or just continuosly stay lit when it senses water in the sedimenter?
And you're both right, I wouldn't want to bypass the fuel warning light if at all possible. So, we'll get to the bottom of this eventually.
The good news is that it runs and idles very well, and thankfully it doesn't have a knock in the motor!
Thanks for the help!

 

[lostmarbles]

Thanks guys.
First off , Tom, where'd you get the solid state VR? Second, I unplugged the warning light at the light itself and the VR kept clicking. The light went off of course. So, Would unplugging it at the sedimenter make any difference as far as determining if the VR was clicking due to the sedimenter? Third, is the fuel warning light supposed to flash or just continuosly stay lit when it senses water in the sedimenter?
And you're both right, I wouldn't want to bypass the fuel warning light if at all possible. So, we'll get to the bottom of this eventually.
The good news is that it runs and idles very well, and thankfully it doesn't have a knock in the motor!
Thanks for the help!

My solid-state VR was obtained from Repco which is a downunder automotive parts chainstore:

I think your original regulator should be 27700-15011 SUBS 27700-15040 which is common enough as it's used on FJ40 models of the same vintage too.

Perhaps transpo IN551 or IN555, Wagner W095-02 or WO95-06, or NAPA VR528 etc for where you live but you'd have to check there cross-reference charts and visually check that their connector plugs match what you've got.

No. I don't think disconnecting the sedimenter wiring helps work out what's triggering the light flicker.

I could suggest disconnecting your VR and/or alternator but then maybe spinning an alternator with its wiring disconnected could subject it to harm? I'm unsure about that...

 

[gswest]

Thanks Tom.
I'll get one from NAPA which is down the street from me here. But, I took the VR off and opened it up for a look see. I saw in the Service manual they mentioned adjusting the voltage regulator adjusting arms. So, I looked at the arms and one was way out of alignment compared to the other. So, I simply made them both make connection at roughly the same point. One was in a position where it was closed at all times. The end result was, no more clicking sound and the fuel warning lamp is not blinking any more. I don't know now if my fuel was bad, but after being stored for three years I'll mix it in with new fuel over several tank fills. I did begin the reinstall of the air cleaner and snorkel. The air cleaner is a Donaldson unit from Australia, which is very industrial like. It fits with about 1/16 inch clearance between the A/C compressor and side wall.

 

[trajkula76]

Hi JS, if you disconnect the sedimenter does the light still flicker? Have you cleaned inside the cannister? If it still flickers after disconnecting you probably have a wiring fault, if it stops you probably have a faulty sensor in the sedimenter or worst case, everything is actually good but you have water in the diesel. My VR clicks sometimes and for a split second kills the engine. It could be as a result of a bad earth. Good luck with finding the fault. Keep up the great work.

 

[lostmarbles]

Hi JS, if you disconnect the sedimenter does the light still flicker? Have you cleaned inside the cannister? If it still flickers after disconnecting you probably have a wiring fault, if it stops you probably have a faulty sensor in the sedimenter or worst case, everything is actually good but you have water in the diesel. My VR clicks sometimes and for a split second kills the engine. It could be as a result of a bad earth. Good luck with finding the fault. Keep up the great work.

It has often been discussed in the diesel section that the sedimenter warning light doubles as a charging system warning light.

So not only was his VR making an annoying noise, it appears it was also performing poorly enough to trigger the warning light to flicker.

And by tweaking one of the arms on his VR, gswest has probably fixed this VR fault (but I think it might pay for him to check that his charging voltage isn't exceeding 14.7V to make sure his arm-adjustment hasn't affected that setting).

 

[gswest]

Thanks again guys. I'm going to take Tom's advice and install a solid state VR. The manual adjustment I did stopped the immediate problem but I have no idea why the VR got out of adjustment since it was fine when I removed it and placed it in a box. For now, I move on to the next issue, Window glass installation. Here's something I'm not going to do myself, and so far I've had luke-warm responses from the local glass guys. They're afraid apparently of the challenge. I have one guy who's supposed to call me this week. We'll see. But I did get the drive shaft re-installed after the fuel tank re-install, so she will move on her own power now,,,, if I got the clutch in correctly.......? And yes Tom, I will check the charging volts to make sure I'm OK there.
Thanks for the responses.

 

[gswest]

I drove the Troopy around the block today. Everything seems to work. There are a few leaks to contend with, but otherwise it's a huge relief!
I ordered the solid state VR like Tom mentioned from NAPA ($100 cheaper than a mechanical one from SOR). The only thing that I thought was questionable when I drove it was the oil pressure gauge was pegged to the right as in high. I think I did install a new sending unit and I'm wondering what could be the issue?

 

[gswest]

I installed one side of the front windows and vent window with all the window felt and vent window rubber seal. Quite a bit of work! I got half of the rest of the glass installed. (in this case, when I say I, I mean someone who knows what they're doing). The windshield, rear door glass and 1/4 windows. The side window sliders are going to be

a problem. Apparently the weather stripping pieces for those windows are not available. My window guy says he has no idea how to make any aftermarket gasket work. The only option appears to be to install flat windows with the same weather stripping as the windshield and in the process lose the sliding windows and have one piece of glass for each opening. My friends down at Stoney's 4X4 (Hobe Sound Fl.) thought a aftermarket sliding window frame for an older 40 series would fit. They thought SOR had this particular window available, but after a long conversation with their expert, it was determined that there was no aftermarket window frame (new)with accompanying gaskets that would fit a Troopy. He was adamant. So, unless someone here has a better idea, I'm going with the only option available, the windshield type glass installation

and no more sliding windows. It sucks!

 

[lostmarbles]

...The side window sliders are going to be View attachment 904196 a problem. Apparently the weather stripping pieces for those windows are not available. My window guy says he has no idea how to make any aftermarket gasket work. The only option appears to be to install flat windows with the same weather stripping as the windshield and in the process lose the sliding windows and have one piece of glass for each opening. My friends down at Stoney's 4X4 (Hobe Sound Fl.) thought a aftermarket sliding window frame for an older 40 series would fit. They thought SOR had this particular window available, but after a long conversation with their expert, it was determined that there was no aftermarket window frame (new)with accompanying gaskets that would fit a Troopy. He was adamant. So, unless someone here has a better idea, I'm going with the only option available, the windshield type glass installation ... and no more sliding windows. It sucks!

This problem sounded familiar so I used Google search (since ih8mud search is now useless) to find a previous thread on it:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/any-companies-out-there-making-custom-weatherstripping.295628/

 

[Ken White]

GSWest just read you thread from start to finish and am amazed in the transformation you truck has taken. It is a work of art with so much attention to detail you should be proud of your work. Just one thing I was a bit concerned with the chainsaw under the truck in post#616 and couldnt work out what you used it for. Also I see that you removed the VIN plate and replaced it something we are not allowed to do here in Aust as far as I am aware. Anyway great job mate.

 

[gswest]

Thanks Tom, I guess the sliding windows are too much trouble to use. Between the outer gaskets and the inner felt parts, there's no supply availability.
The side glass will have to be regular windshield glass with no sliders!

 

[gswest]

And no Ken I haven't used the chain saw at all on my rebuild, yet. As far as the vin number plate removal; I've heard of some issues with that here in the states, but most restorations remove them and rivet them back after. Thanks for the input.

 

[1tontoy]

I think you are supposed to cut the window channel WS where the vent window meets the door frame at the top. In your pic, I see that you folded it in that corner...

 

[gswest]

Thanks 1Tontoy, I wondered about that. I can redo that pretty easily.

 

[Brad 1979 HJ45]

What is this cable for?